Rookie
Note: The name of the Rookie from the Realistic Versions '''Bryan Welsh' applies only to IDW Comics Canon. See Trivia for more information'' The Rookie is the main character in the Ghostbusters: The Video Game, hired as the team's new "Experimental Equipment Technician" to test out Egon Spengler's new gadgets and do grunt work. History Primary Canon The Rookie arrives at the Firehouse for his first day of work in late November 1991 when a Psi Energy Pulse suddenly passes through. With the modified Proton Pack prototype strapped on, the Rookie faces his first entity, Slimer. However, during the attempted bust, the Sloth Ghost is released from the Containment Unit. When it is returned to the grid, the mission to recapture Slimer begins. During the game's end credits, he is offered the opportunity to lead a potentially lucrative Ghostbusters franchise in Chicago, Los Angeles, or Cincinnati, but whether or not he takes the offer is unknown. It is also possible the Rookie quit or was eventually fired after Louis Tully returned from vacation. Secondary Canon By 1994, the Rookie was no longer working for the Ghostbusters. Egon Spengler (2011).IDW Comics- "Issue #3" (2011) (Comic p.12). Egon says: "Not the experimental pack our former associate used." Name Despite Ray Stantz asking for his name, Peter Venkman notes they should not get to know the Rookie's name for fear of getting too attached; especially after "what happened to the last guy." However, this doesn't stop the team from calling him by several nicknames such as Sport, Hoss, Ace, Cadet, and Newbie. However, when the team returns from Times Square after facing the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, a message is left on the Firehouse's call waiting service, with an older male voice stating: "You're doing adequate work out there, Rook, keep it up!" and sometimes you can hear Winston Zeddemore saying "Slam it, Rook!" in the Times Square level. The phonetic similarity led many to believe the Rookie's name is Luke. Personality The Rookie is notably quiet, most likely to give players the ability to enjoy the interactions of the primary Ghostbusters and is sometimes portrayed as being quite clumsy (e.g. slipping off ledges, falling through a trap door, accidentally zapping a tree with his Proton Pack and being hit by moving book-cases). Very little is known about the rookie, due to his quietness. He seems to be in his 20s. If the player starts to slam lots of ghosts really hard, members of the team will say things like; "You're playing hardball rook!", or "NOBODY messes with the kid!". The rookie is still shown to be a bit skittish at times as seen in the Graveyard level, where he seems to be visibly scared at times. This is also true back in the Firehouse, as when he enters the bathroom and activates the showers he flinches with a yell from the intense heat from the water. He does manage to save the Ghostbusters a couple of times including on the Shandor's Island level. Other Versions In the DS version the Rookie does not appear in the game at all. In the stylized versions there is also the choice of female rookie, however the Ghostbusters still refer to her as a him. Only in the stylized version can the Rookie's gender be changed from default male to a female Rookie. Development Ghostbusters: The Video Game associate producer Ryan French was the base for the rookie, because the developers needed a "cheap and easy actor." The original Player Character was modeled after a Terminal Reality level designer, but was replaced to due to a striking similarity to Half-Life's Gordon Freeman character. Game Informer "What You Didn't Know About Ghostbusters" The male rookie in the stylized version, meanwhile, was based on the look of an early 90s young male. Notably in this version he sports a medium-length blond hair, similar to that of the late grunge rock artist Kurt Cobain, whose band Nirvana was gaining notoriety by 1991, when the game takes place. Quotes "Me too" is a line''' falsely '''believed to be spoken by the Rookie as the Ghostbusters are about to cross the streams to defeat Ivo Shandor. It is in fact Peter Venkman's line, which can be verified if one plays the game with subtitles on. The Rookie has no lines of dialogue in the game. He does, however, scream, grunt, and gasp a lot. Occasionally, he looks like he is going to speak only to be interrupted by one of the other Ghostbusters. Trivia *On page five of Ghostbusters Issue #4, Peter refers to the Rookie and his easy victory over the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in the Panic in Times Square Level (realistic version). *On page 22 of Ghostbusters Issue #4, a newspaper article in the PCOC file reveals the Rookie's name is Bryan Welsh. The Stylized Version's Male Rookie was named Chad Fuller. Tristan Jones IDW Forums post #1 Tristan Jones IDW Forums post #2 References Gallery Overall Primary Canon RookieRV03.jpg|The Rookie with Gamestop exclusive dark uniform as seen in Central Park Cemetery Level (realistic version) RookieRV04.jpg|The Rookie with Gamestop exclusive dark uniform as seen in Central Park Cemetery Level (realistic version) Secondary Canon Rookie01.png|The Rookie as seen in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Stylized Versions) RookieSV01.png|The Rookie as seen in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Stylized Versions) Non Canon Rookie Ryan French.gif|Ryan French, inspiration for Realistic Version Category:Ghostbusters: TVG Characters Category:Ghostbusters IDW Comics Characters